{
  "id": 11747142,
  "title": "St Vincent Fuel Surcharge Up 45% Since March as Debate Grows Over a Flat Fee",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/03/st-vincent-fuel-surcharge-up-45-since-march-as-debate-grows-over-a",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-10-03T18:23:10.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Rio Times",
    "slug": "the-rio-times",
    "url": "https://www.riotimesonline.com/st-vincent-fuel-surcharge-debate-2026/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Since March, the St Vincent fuel surcharge has risen by 45%, according to the state-owned electricity provider VINLEC. As of September, the surcharge amounted to 79.67 Eastern Caribbean cents per kilowatt hour, about US$0.30, which is significantly higher than the base rate for electricity itself. VINLEC passes the fuel costs to customers on a monthly basis. The surcharge is calculated by dividing the excess fuel cost over a fixed base price by the units sold. In September, this excess cost was EC$11.86m (about US$4.39m). Despite VINLEC claiming to make no profit on the charge, its notices indicate a significant rise from 54.90 cents in March to a peak of 83.20 cents in July. The rate has since eased to 76.70 cents in August and then increased again to the current level. This fuel surcharge has become a major component of household power bills in St Vincent.",
  "summary": "St Vincent fuel surcharge hit about US$0.30 per unit on September bills, 45% above March and more than the base rate. Why a flat fee may not be the answer. The post St Vincent Fuel Surcharge Up 45% Since March as Debate Grows Over a Flat Fee appeared first on The Rio Times .",
  "key_points": [
    "St Vincent fuel surcharge increased by 45% since March",
    "Surcharge amounted to 79.67 Eastern Caribbean cents/kWh in September",
    "Debate over implementing a flat fee for fuel surcharge"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}